Heretical Edge

Okay, obviously that was a lot to take in. And I wasn't exactly alone in that. Behind me, I could hear Percy making confused noises even as my brain screeched to a halt. She seemed just as shocked as I was, which really said something about how absurd that whole thing sounded.

To his credit, Ehn seemed aware that he'd said something huge, and calmly waited for us to find some sort of coherent response. From the patient look on his face, he probably could have waited even longer, but I eventually managed to stammer, “Okay, what? No, really, I have so many questions right now. First of all, what the hell do you mean seeing the Fomorians before they became what we know? Wouldn't that just be seeing the early Seosten? Is this portal supposed to take us to the past of the Seosten world?” That was the only thing that made some sense about that, and yet, I was almost certain that couldn't be it. The way he had phrased it didn't seem to match with that sort of assumption.

Sure enough, the man shook his head. “Not exactly,” he replied with a very faint smile. “There are a few details about these Fomorians that you should know. Very important details that should change quite a lot about how you see them.”

With that, he proceeded to tell me the full story about how the creatures we called Fomorians got started. First he gave me a quick reminder about how a Seosten named Caelus from almost half a million years ago had attempted to save his dying son, whose name was Cron, by cloning him. But of course, simply creating a clone of his son wouldn’t be his son. So he messed with his actual son’s genetics to create a connection between both the boy and the empty shell of his clone, allowing the two to physically merge into one being. That was the first prototype version of the Seosten possession power. Cron was supposed to possess that empty clone shell and live.

Except the shell wasn’t empty. There was another mind in there, which fought back against simply being taken over and erased. Worse, the ability that was simply supposed to allow Cron and his clone to merge actually mutated, allowing it to absorb other Seosten as well. Which happened when Caelus hugged their merged body. The father was absorbed into him as well. Now there were three minds all completely losing it inside one body, none of which had been entirely stable to begin with. The clone mind was fractured, and that only made the reactions from the other two minds worse. And when the other Seosten scientists and guards reacted violently to what they found… well, things escalated. The newly-dubbed Cronus absorbed every Seosten he touched, which only made his mind fracture and crack more and more. They couldn’t kill him, especially not as he continued to absorb hundreds and then thousands of people, taking on their power and knowledge. But they did eventually drive him to flee the planet using an experimental spaceship.

That much I knew already, from Sariel. But then Ehn told me about how the spaceship that Cronus had stolen had broken down, stranding him in the middle of deep space. The story of Cronus would have ended there, the Fomorians never actually becoming the threat they were now, were it not for the other ship that had found them. It was a ship belonging to people who called themselves Fomorians, the actual, original Fomorians. They were their own species, their own people. But not just any people, they were refugees, innocent Fomorian people who had fled from the genocidal dictator who had taken over their world. Not an alien--well, not alien to them. Another Fomorian, killing and enslaving his own people.

Unfortunately, stopping to help the stranded Cronus turned out to be a very bad idea. Possibly the worst idea in the history of the universe, quite literally. Not only did their pursuers catch up and kill all of them, but the rage from witnessing that managed to teach Cronus how to inject the minds he had absorbed into other bodies, the bodies of those murderous Fomorian soldiers, and the civilians they had slaughtered.

That was the start of it. Now Cronus had numbers. His weakness before had been that, even as strong as he was, there was only one of him. Now he could put an infected, corrupted and subservient Seosten mind into a new body. Together, his new army took that ship back to the Fomorian homeworld, and infected more and more people along the way. They improved these new bodies they had, under Cronus’s direction. And before long, every single original Fomorian on that world was either converted into one of his people, possessed by one of those minds he had taken, or they were killed and their biomass was used in more experiments.

Once the man finished explaining that much, I held out both hands for him to wait before going on. I was rocking backward on my heels, trying to comprehend and accept all of this. It made sense, of course. That was where these Fomorian bodies had come from, where the name had come from. They were an entire people before this happened. They were their own species, and then, through complete random happenstance, all of that had changed. This whole idea of me using my Necromancy to prevent the Fomorian mind from going back to new clone bodies every time they died, that was… that was supposed to be me preventing the corrupted Seosten from going back to their Fomorian body lab or whatever. The farm where they grew more bodies.

How different would the entire universe be if that refugee ship had never stumbled across Cronus’s stranded vessel? What if he really had simply died out there and never created the Fomorians we knew? What if… What if…

Yeah, ‘what if’ summed it up. Finally shaking that off, I focused on the actual real world, and what was actually going on. “Right, so you're saying that we can see the original Fomorians, before Cronus took them over and changed everything. We can see their homeworld earlier. But what is that going to accomplish? It sounds like you already know the whole story about how they became the Fomorians we’re aware of and definitely don't love, so what exactly is physically going there going to accomplish? I know you're not thinking about changing history. Because we can't change history. Even if we did something to stop the monster Fomorians from existing, it would just create a new timeline. We wouldn't get back to our own. That's not what you're trying to do, is it?”

“It had better not be,” Percy informed him with a sharp look. “All of my stuff is in this timeline, and I don't want to go to a new one. Also, Flick would miss all her friends and family, and they would miss her.”

“They'd miss you too,” I assured her with a side-long look before turning my attention back to the man in question. “But if you're not trying to create a new timeline, I have no idea what going through that rift could accomplish, let alone why it would be so important to you. Usually you’re harder to read, to be honest. But I can kind of tell that this is a big deal right now. You really want to pull this off, for some reason.”

Ehn gave a short nod. “You are absolutely correct, both of you. Creating a new timeline would not accomplish anything of use. I don't simply wish to shift us into a timeline where the Fomorians never became what they are, I wish to save this one. To that end, I believe we need to find a sample of their people from before they were taken over. We need to be able to examine the original Fomorians if we truly wish to separate the… Seosten self properly. Your Necromancy is quite potent, of course. But if we are going to permanently solve this issue, we need to understand it as completely as possible. Especially if you are planning to create this school of yours. Your students will need to know everything they can about the beings they are trying to work against. We need to understand what changes have been made in their bodies to differentiate them from their current selves. And that means comparing an original Fomorian to one of the current versions.” He offered a small, almost rueful smile then. “Honestly, there is so much we could learn about them if we had a living sample of what they used to be.”

I was still trying to process the very idea that we might be able to do something like that when Percy spoke up pointedly, suspicion clear in her voice. “And why exactly don’t you have your entire assortment of lieutenants here ready to go through the rift in that case? If this is so vital, you have much stronger, more capable and, to the point, loyal people within your employ than Flick here.” Belatedly, she gave me a quick look before adding a somewhat sheepish, “Apologies, I meant no insult. I was simply--”

“It’s okay,” I insisted while shaking my head. “You’re not wrong. Ehn has plenty of people who could be better suited at going on a trip like this with him. So why aren’t they?” I had already directed my attention back to the man in question then, squinting. “If you tell me it’s because you already tried to sell them on this idea and even they passed, we might have a problem.” I tried to keep my voice somewhat light with that bit, but I wasn’t really kidding. If even his top people refused to go on a trip like this?

Ehn, however, assured us, “That is not the issue. There are multiple factors. First, one of my ‘lieutenants,’ as you put it, will indeed be accompanying us. You met her already back at the lumber camp. Two, most of them… well, let’s just say I trust them for what they are intended to do, but the idea that time travel cannot be used to solve all problems may be more difficult for some to grasp or accept. You not only accept that as a truth, you literally brought it up entirely of your own volition. So I need not fear you… going off script.”

Right, in other words, he was afraid that one of them might indeed try to change the timeline if they were put into a situation like that. Which said a lot about how much he trusted his own people, but hey. I couldn’t really argue with it. At least he answered the-- I frowned that way. “There’s something else, isn’t there? Another reason.”

“Yes,” he confirmed quietly. “You have not partaken of the boost I provided yet, have you?” There was no accusation in his voice. Indeed, he sounded almost grateful.

“Uh, no, not yet.” I wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything, but I patted my pocket. “It’s here, it’s safe. I just… haven’t been ready.”

His smile was faint. “That is understandable, and works in our favor now. Having… researched more about this rift since we arrived, it seems that if we were to go through there with more than one person I have… ahh… strengthened, there could be issues.”

That made me blink a couple times. “Issues? What sort of issues?”

His eyes met mine. “Well, it seems the dragon boost could end up making the rift perceive us as all one being, physically merging us that way after we pass through.”

Well I definitely gave a double-take at that, eyes widening. “Okay, just how much of a possibility is there of that happening anyway?” I demanded sharply. “Because no offense, but I really don’t want to be merged with you. I’m sharing my body with enough people as it is, and my little sister has dibs on the only seat left.”

Yeah! Fathom put in silently. Ain’t no more vacancies in this resort!

My words made the man chuckle softly. “Oh yes, quite fair. Believe me, I have no greater desire than you for such an event. My mind and body are my own. That is why Dah is the only member of my… organization who will be accompanying us through the portal. I trust her not to attempt to change anything she shouldn’t, and a single boosted person should be fine, so long as we pass through separately. According to my research, it only gets… as you would say, ‘iffy’ with three or more linked individuals.” His glance shifted toward Percy then as he added, “Which also means--”

“I should possess someone else,” she finished for him. “Having the Recall connection to Flick might pose its own problems. And yet, I find myself wondering if this could simply be a way of ensuring that connection no longer exists.” There wasn’t quite a full accusation in her voice, but it wasn’t not there either. Her tone and gaze made the point, and how she would feel if this really was such a trick, fairly clear.

If Ehn was offended by the insinuation, he didn’t show it. Instead, he simply met her gaze and replied, “I give you my word, I have no desire to separate you from Ms. Chambers. I wish for her to become as effective as she can be. That is the only way my goal of eliminating the Fomorian threat can be met. And right now, keeping you with her is the best way to ensure she becomes strong enough to do that. She needs you. She trusts you in a way she does not and cannot trust me. You protect her from things she cannot protect herself from. I have no wish to endanger or sever that.”

That was probably about as good of a promise as we were going to get. And as good of an explanation for what was going on. So, I looked over toward the island once more. “Right, so now the question is, how do I convince Odysseus to tell us the truth about where and when that rift is. And before you ask, I won’t force him. I’ll talk to him. I’ll try to make him see that we only want to help things.” After a brief pause, I looked back to Ehn with narrowed eyes. “Please, don’t make me regret saying that.”

His only response was a bowed head of acknowledgment and a soft, “I have no intention of doing so. The timeline shall remain intact. Given everything that we know, removing a single original Fomorian specimen will not affect that. Particularly assuming we take care to only select one which should have died in the initial assault. Or even one which died before that. As I said, the ruler of that world was a genocidal monster even before Cronus arrived. It should not be difficult to locate and extract one of his would-be victims within the chaos of that very arrival.”

Fathom was already out, so she simply used her ‘stick to the top of any surface’ ability to allow me to walk across the water. Soon, I was stepping foot on Roanoke Island, the place where my grandmother would be born soon. The first English child born on the new continent. Sometimes I thought I really never let that sink in. But then, it was hard when I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone else aside from Koren and Dare herself about it. If I thought about it too much, I just ended up feeling even more guilty about needing to keep that whole thing a secret from my own mother.

And if I felt bad about it, I couldn’t imagine how it made Grandma Dare herself feel.

But right now, I couldn’t focus on any of that. Though I did take the time to crouch down and run my hand through the mix of dirt and pebbles on the edge of the island. This really did feel like a monumental moment, even if I couldn’t really enjoy it that way. With that handful of ground, I rose once more and absently emptied it into my pocket before looking over as Percy literally jumped from the boat, crossing about a hundred feet in that single leap to land smoothly nearby. Cerberus was staying on the boat to keep an eye (or six) on Ehn, alongside Eurso. What we were doing didn’t really require an armored raptor or a three-headed robot dog. They would be fine there.

Together, Percy and I walked through the forest. There were people calling out a mix of orders and jokes to one another off in the distance, but we ignored them. Instead, we made our way several hundred yards into that forest to a clearing, where that ghost was hovering with his back to us. I’d sensed him waiting.

“So,” he began quietly, “you know what your guide wants, and he’s convinced you of its merit well enough to come and attempt to tell me why giving him that sort of access would be a good idea.” Before either of us could respond, the man turned, his gaze meeting mine as I felt a flash of emotion from him. “Do you have any idea how much damage someone like him could do to the river of time should he be allowed to throw such a boulder into it? The villages that have been built alongside that very river could be washed away, creating entire new valleys entirely unrecognizable to your eyes once you return to the future.”

Without breaking eye contact, I gave a short nod. “I know. We know. He swore that’s not what he intends to do. And… I know there’s a lot of bad things that could be said about him and his methods, but I don’t think he’s that sort of liar.”

“Personally, I could go on at length about all the reasons he shouldn’t be a role model,” Percy put in with a quite cheerful tone before turning serious. “But Flick is right, he isn’t lying now when he says his intentions do not include altering the timeline.”

With that, both of us took turns giving the full details of what Ehn apparently wanted to do, and why he thought it would help. Through it all, I just kept sneaking glances at Odysseus, marveling to myself about who I was fucking talking to! Seriously, yes, I had met a whole lot of unbelievably important historical people, from the grandmother I had just been thinking about, to Hercules being my grandparents best friend. To say nothing of Morgan Le Fay being my girlfriend’s adopted mother and our former headmistress. My life wasn't exactly lacking in notable figures. But this was literally Odysseus. Somehow, he stood out even over all of that. And here I was just talking to him, trying to convince the man to tell us where we could find a rift in space and time that would lead us to the very beginning of what is now the most dangerous species in the universe.

I’d gotten accustomed to a lot over these past couple of years, but every once in a while, it struck me just how weird this life actually was.

Weird?! We just met Odysseus! O-fucking-dysseus! He’s the star of the sea, the exalt of exploration, the dynamo of discovery! He’s goddamn Odysseus and everyone had better put respect on his name!

Needless to say, Fathom was still a fan. Still, I managed to keep it together enough to explain the situation alongside Percy. I tried not to sound too incredulous about the whole thing, even if it was still quite a lot to take in. Once we were done, I added, “But I told him I wouldn't force you to do anything you don't want to, no matter how important he thinks it is. All I can say is that I really do think this could change things in the future. It could be what we need to stop the Fomorians from killing everyone in the universe. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

“And you can trust Flick,” Percy put in firmly, standing beside me with one hand on my shoulder. “After all, she killed Manakel.” Her head tilted. “Or will help kill.”

That made Odysseus turn his gaze back to me sharply. “Is that right?”

Rather than answer audibly, I shrugged and focused on summoning Doctor Manakel. He already knew what was going on, and appeared a few feet away before speaking to the other man. “Yes, well, I did have it coming at the time.”

His appearance and words prompted a flurry of questions from Odysseus to the other ghost, and for a moment all I could do was snap my attention back and forth between them. They were talking in old Greek, so I barely picked out a word here or there.

Finally, Odysseus seemed satisfied enough, holding up a hand for Manakel to stop. Then he looked at me. “Very well, if it is as you say, and both Persephone and Manakel vouch for your trustworthiness, I will take you at your word as to Ehn’s intentions. Though I have a few non-negotiable conditions I will insist upon. But assuming he agrees to them, I shall do as he wishes.

“I will lead you to the rift.”